Dough calculator — from finished loaf to grams
Tell it how many loaves you want and how big they should be, and it works out flour, water, starter and salt. The starter is treated as 100 % hydration, i.e. half flour and half water.
How to read the numbers
The calculator works the way you actually think: you know how many loaves you want and how big they should be. Everything else is worked backwards from there.
The starter is treated as 100 % hydration — half flour, half water — and both halves are subtracted from the flour and water totals. That is the detail most often missed when doing this by hand, and it explains why a dough sometimes turns out wetter than the recipe promised.
Sensible starting points
- Hydration 70-72 % — beginner friendly, the dough stays manageable.
- Hydration 75-78 % — more open crumb, needs folding rather than kneading.
- Salt 2-2.1 % — the classic balance. Below 1.5 % tastes flat.
- Starter 20 % — rises in 4-6 hours at 24 °C. Less starter means a longer rise and more flavour.
Frequently asked questions
How much dough goes into one loaf?
A standard round sourdough loaf is made from 800-1000 g of dough. That bakes down to roughly 700-850 g, because water evaporates in the oven.
Why does the flour amount drop when I add more starter?
Because the starter contains flour of its own. The calculator subtracts the starter’s flour and water so you do not count them twice — otherwise the dough would come out both too big and too wet.
Can I use this for yeasted bread?
Yes. Set the starter to 0 % and it works out a plain yeasted dough. Add yeast separately, typically 1-2 % of flour weight for a slow rise.